The present invention relates to a medical or surgical bandage suitable for use in providing musculo-skeletal support and treatment of skin conditions. More specifically, the present invention also relates to a sleeve suitable for suspending an arm during surgery.
During certain surgeries and post-operative recoveries, it is often necessary to hold a body part in a particular position for prolonged periods. The position may differ from the horizontal resting position of the operating table or hospital bed, requiring the use of a holding device. One particular case where holding a body part in a particular position is required is during arthroscopic surgery. In arthroscopic surgery, a small camera is inserted into the body close to a joint, like a shoulder, a knee, an elbow, a hip, an ankle or a wrist, to visualize the joint. Direct visualization of the joint greatly enhances the capability of the surgeon to elaborate a diagnosis of the joint problem with respect to other non-invasive techniques such as X-rays. During the same arthroscopic operation, other instruments can be inserted into the joint to correct the diagnosed problem under the visual guidance provided by the camera. Because of the characteristics of the procedure, it is necessary that the body parts around the joint are held in a steady, firm position, while allowing the surgeon to gain access to the parts of the joint. In shoulder arthroscopy, for example, the arm must be kept away from the body, so that the surgeon has better access to the shoulder joint. In addition, the joint must be placed at a particular angle so that the instruments the surgeon uses do not harm the nervous or vascular systems while penetrating the body.
Arthroscopic surgery has become a widely practiced surgical procedure, especially in sports medicine. Its advantages are its high diagnostic value and its lower invasiveness in comparison with other types of surgery, which considerably accelerates post-operative recovery time.
Keeping the joint in the correct position during the surgery is crucial for the success of the procedure. Nonetheless, it is important to avoid causing post-operative discomfort to the patient, which may happen due to the pulling force and compression that is applied for prolonged amounts of time during surgery.
There are a number of problems associated with currently available holding devices. First, they can often lead to post-operative patient discomfort due to the excessive compression used during surgery. Tight compression is used to prevent unintended movement of the body part during surgery. Also, when the device exerts a pulling force on the body part, it tends to hold it tightly by compressing the body part. Tight compression can potentially induce blood irrigation problems and/or bruising. Second, holding devices may use strong adhesives on the skin, leading to skin damage in some patients, especially in elderly patients. In some instances, the use of the prior art devices may not be possible because the patients have injured skin. Third, some holding devices may require complicated handling and/or storage because of their bulkiness. Fourth, some holding devices are comprised of several parts that must be inconveniently assembled prior to surgery. This lengthens unnecessarily the duration of the surgery, complicates production of the device, and increases the cost of surgery. Fifth, some holding devices require cumbersome customizing, which also unnecessarily lengthens the duration of the procedure, complicates use of the device, and again increases the cost of surgery. Sixth, some devices use abduction as the method of holding, which greatly limits the capability to mobilize and/or hold the body part in any desired direction. Seventh, some devices involve cylindrical wrapping, which typically applies too much pressure to the wrapped area, potentially leading to vascular circulation problems and unnecessarily complicates the assembly process.